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Italy Floats Official Permission Requirement for Web Video Uploads
An anonymous reader writes with some bad news from Italy, noting that new rules proposed there would "require people who upload videos onto the Internet to obtain authorization from the Communications Ministry similar to that required by television broadcasters, drastically reducing freedom to communicate over the Web." Understandably, some say such controls represent a conflict of interest for Silvio Berlusconi, "who exercises political control over the state broadcaster RAI in his role as prime minister and is also the owner of Italy's largest private broadcaster, Mediaset."
If one doesn't live in Italy, there is no reason to care what Italians choose for themselves. The country has been a joke since before the Great War, the citizens choose their fate, and it's none of our business what they do to each other.
"This post is an artistic work of fiction and falsehood. Only a fool would take anything posted here as fact."
CRTC in Canada already controls TV, magazine publications and other media - blocking media without sufficient French content amongst other rules. If this passes in Italy it will only be a matter of time before they realize “Oh, we should do the same!” and require everyone to apply for permission to post videos – “I’m sorry sir, before uploading to the web your home made porn must be subtitled in French, credit attribution must be given for French kissing and your wife is not allowed to shave her legs”...